LepSoc 2016 - Day 1

July is always my busiest month, filled with numerous butterfly trips. This year I spent two weeks on the road, driving to Colorado and back, for the annual Lepidopterists' Society conference in Florissant. I drove a total of 3,701 miles through 7 states (WA, OR, ID, NV, UT, CO, WY) and 12 national forests, saw at least 86 butterfly species, 15 of which were new to me, and collected 378 specimens!
My first full day of the trip was spent driving through northeast Oregon into southern Idaho, stopping briefly at a Snake River recreation area near Huntington, OR, then spent most of the afternoon at a block of the Sawtooth National Forest south of Twin Falls, ID in the vicinity of the Magic Mountain Ski Resort.

Snake River, Oregon
Pieris rapae Cabbage White, 10+
Strymon melinus Gray Hairstreak, 1 female
Cercyonis sthenele Great Basin Woodnymph, 5+

Snake River, looking towards Idaho

I heard a soft crunch of gravel and turned with a start thinking someone was creeping up behind me, only to find this doe trying to get to the ditch for water and apricots (an old tree growing near the ditch), both of which were attracting the butterflies I was looking at.

Sawtooth N.F. south of Twin Falls, ID
Erynnis persius Persius Duskywing, 1
Pholisora catullus Common Sootywing, 3+
Parnassius smintheus Mountain Parnassian, 1 male
Papilio rutulus Western Tiger Swallowtail, 20+
Papilio eurymedon Pale Tiger Swallowtail, 4+
Papilio multicaudata Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail, 4+
Pontia protodice Checkered White, dozens (mixed with P. occidentalis)
Pontia occidentalis Western White, dozens (mixed with P. protodice)
Euchloe ausonides Large Marble, 2
Anthocharis sara Sara's Orangetip, 1 male
Colias sp. likely Orange Sulphur, 1 female
Lycaena helloides Purplish Copper, 1 female
Satyrium californica California Hairstreak, 2+
Plebejus melissa Melissa Blue, 1
Icaricia icarioides Boisduval's Blue, 12+
Glaucopsyche piasus Arrowhead Blue, 1
Speyeria callippe Callippe Fritillary, 5+
Phyciodes pulchella, Field Crescent, 10+
Phyciodes mylitta Mylitta Crescent, 1 male
Phyciodes pallida Pale Crescent, 2
Euphydryas sp., 1 (didn't get a clear look for species)
Polygonia gracilis Hoary Anglewing, 1 male, 1 female
Aglais milberti Milbert's Tortoiseshell, 5+
Vanessa cardui Painted Lady, 2
Nymphalis californica California Tortoiseshell, 2 (likely, not good look)
Limenitis weidemeyerii Weidemeyer's Admiral, 6
Coenonympha tullia Ochre Ringlet, 4
Cercyonis pegala, 2

Near the Penstemon Campground and Magic Mountain Ski Resort

Near the Penstemon Campground and Magic Mountain Ski Resort

Southeast of Magic Mountain Ski Resort, looking east over southern Idaho

Southeast of Magic Mountain Ski Resort, looking west over southern Idaho

More to come over the next few days...